Blue Murder: Tony Franklin on John Sykes' Depression After 1989 Album/Being Fired from Whitesnake

This excerpt was taken from a full in bloom interview with bassist Tony Franklin
Tony talks about John Sykes' bout with depression following the Blue Murder 1989 self-titled album & being fired from Whitesnake, Valley of the Kings, Jelly Roll, & Nothing But Trouble.
You can listen to the entire Blue Murder segment with Tony on KZbin:
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Song by FOOL OF FATE
#Whitesnake #BlueMurder #JohnSykes

[@jodylowe8476]

Sykes was likely fired from Whitesnake because Coverdale couldn't share the spotlight with a more talented person. Sykes was one of the top guitarists of his generation and a great singer and looked like a rock god.

[@pauldickinson5067]

JS went to the record co & wanted to replace DC as singer due to his throat issues & the delays that resulted. So DC had no choice but to fire him

[@gnrnando88]

He also burned a lot money from sponsors while DC was treating his throat issue. He just give a opp to Sykes start his own band, which he did, but not sustain...

[@gabrielzarnescu4151]

Very very true.Coverdale ließ

[@gabrielzarnescu4151]

Very True!!! Coverdale like mediocre people "yes People " like" Jelusik

[@peevee605]

@@gabrielzarnescu4151Jelusick has raw talent and you are a troll. Capisće?

[@ahmedbise3419]

Tony is a gem. It is a shame. In my view the debut Blue Murder album was and is brilliant. John Sykes is a beast of a guitar player and I've wondered how all of the events of that time impacted on him.

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

Absolutely. I saw Blue Murder on tour with I think it was opening for Cinderella and Bullet boys. It was the opening act and they were great! I mean, great!

[@unevenhook]

Love that blue murder album. Too bad it never took off. Jelly roll was awesome

[@michaelmichaels138]

Great song but horrible name. It never made sense to me. I figured it was an English expression or something but to a young Texan it’s a breakfast snack.

[@unevenhook]

@@michaelmichaels138 LOL I feel the same. Back then I never understood why such a cool power ballad got such a stupid name. Cuz nobody is eating any pastries in they lyrics?

[@user-su3ce1ii6b]

I'm sending prayers 🙏 up for John Sykes to get better and leave the things that bring him down.keep going

[@N0B0DY_SP3C14L]

Thank you for posting this. Tony, in addition to being an incredible player, is a genuinely nice human being and a true gentleman. I've spoken with him several times and each time I've walked away feeling like a better person for it. There are not many people I can say that about, but he is one.

[@BigErnieBrown]

This first album was a bolt ⚡ of lightning in a bottle.

[@guitarrocks7776]

That Whitesnake 87’ Tour was suppose to be for John Sykes. Maybe Sykes had that feeling if he did that tour he would’ve been more known than he is. Basically other members took the spotlight. In my opinion Coverdale was jealous of Sykes because if you look up videos of them from the Slide It On Tour, Sykes was the star. He looked great, he played amazing, he also sang good too. That’s why if you notice, after Coverdale fired Sykes (and the rest of the band that played on the 87’ album) he dyed his hair blonde, he had brown hair. Blue Murder is a MUST for Sykes fans. Blue Murder self titled vs. Whitesnake 87?? Can’t go wrong with both, Sykes guitar is incredible. 🎸👍

[@AC-rx5ck]

Yep you said exactly what I was thinking. DC was jealous and tried to become JS - failed in both looks & talent 🚫 I was a teen in 87 and thought he looked like creep in the videos eek

[@MegaElvisd]

It sucked for Sykes. When you think of Coverdale's history, his actions aren't surprising. When he joined Deep Purple, he's supposed to be the hot young frontman, and what happens? To his left is the biggest headgamer of a guitarist in rock history who already has stage presence only second to page and to his right, he's getting upstaged by the freakin' bass player, Glenn Hughes, with his inhuman singing range. Think of it-getting upstaged by the bass player. Then Tommy Bolin comes in and trainwrecks the whole band just while Coverdale is probably at his peak as a vocalist. Think after that he might have developed control issues? You betcha.

[@peevee605]

Sykes was not an easy person and he didn’t write the whole 1987 album. On the contrary. Plus when he got fired he blamed the lack of success on DC and went into retirement. That’s not respectful against the fans that treats the 1987 album as that crazy girl who took your virginity and 36 years later she’s still supposed to be as tight as then.

[@deepzepp4176]

@@MegaElvisd Tell me, who had the more successful career, DC or Glenn Hughes? DC eventually became more successful than Blackmore. Don't know what you're talking about in regards to Bolin.

[@MegaElvisd]

@@deepzepp4176 You're completely missing the point of what I'm talking about here. Actually, you're helping confirm my point- Coverdale proved to be more successful than his peers- and that was partially because he had learned the hard way to "cut bait" when difficult personalities showed their other side. It's a hard lesson, but in music, you sometimes have to let people go if they're compromising the act through drugs, drama, or dissention. That's just reality- a bandleader has to eventually say "no" to survive.

[@shawnstarks1743]

Jelly Roll was a killer song.

[@dieterschanzerbschonsmrics3528]

Sykes is a MONSTER player/singer/writer...an original. Saw him live in the 80's he fucking burned up n down the fretboard all night.

[@jesse-ll3dh]

Nirvana gave everyone depression including me.😢

[@user-sx3yc3yb8j]

Hope we hear about you getting better. I pray God heals you. God bless ya

[@rickfortine7454]

I LOVE YOUR INTERVIEWS THEYRE THE GREATEST ROCK SHOWS ONLINE .... AWESOME !!!

[@fullinbloomplus]

Thank you, Rick. Glad you enjoy them. You've listened to the main channel, right?

[@paulthomasbranda7591]

I grew up with Manhattan Cable TV. We Got MTV when it launched in 1982. As a former Manhattan resident I must report that JELLYROLL WAS ON MTV at least 12 times a day for like 2 months!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jasonladd6400]

Coverdale says it was a personality clash but he fired Murray and Dunbar also so that doesn't wash with me. He wanted hired side men and all the glory for himself

[@kikiki4592]

He had done that a few times before also. They used to be basically Deep Purple with Lord and Paice in the band.

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

He made that album. His playing is legendary. I hope he's okay. We have sure missed out on some great music he would have made. He was on his way to superstardom. Coverdale is a singer, they all have LSD . Lead Singer Disease .

[@magnusjmvc8895]

Tony handled your hot potato JS WS firing question like a quintessential politician 😆

[@fullinbloomplus]

No doubt.

[@gabrieljohannson6777]

I think I speak for many if not everybody when I say; fuck "Dave Coverdale." To this day John Sykes has more talent than Coverdale ever did. His latest releases are monster songs. I sincerely hope he does release a full album but I don't think we will ever see John play live again. A real shame. As for Tony Franklin, he is an absolute God of Bass.

[@Stewartchampion]

Sykes in thin lizzy .....amazing stuff....what a guitarist

[@nightranger3430]

JS received no writing credits on Snakes first & best album…that is a crime!!!

[@michaelgraham9774]

The 1987 self titled isn't their first album. They had already been a band since the late 70s

[@rajman7644]

Coverdale wanted to fire Sykes (the entire band actually) after the "Slide It In" tour, but was convinced to keep him by David Geffen. Suffice it to say that Coverdale wasn't a huge supporter of Sykes and Sykes likely knew this and didn't give him the support he felt he needed when he was going through his vocal issue. Sykes actually sounds rather dismissive of it and said he just had nerves. I can believe that he tried to convince DGC to replace Coverdale because neither had any loyalty to one another.

[@gladiator22666]

Most metal fans don't purchase singles .....they normally get the full album . Blue Murders first album was awesome.....they went in a different direction with the second album , wasn't a big fan of it .

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

I've never heard it.

[@michael-rn8xv]

I love Tony but MTV would not have cared if there was no single available for Valley

[@MrIgorek13]

Title says something about depression didn't find out a word from Tony?

[@fullinbloomplus]

Quote from Tony: "He went into some periods of depression." Around the 2 minute mark.

[@nightranger3430]

I personally think that John Sykes is just as equally talented a vocalist when compared to Coverdale…

[@DirtySouth211]

He was better, Coverdale was just screaming on the donnington video with Vai

[@rickfortine7454]

WHEN DAVID AND JOHN WERE TOGETHER FROM A LISTENING STANDPOINT THAT WAS A FUCKING SUPERGROUP WITHOUT QUESTION ... I REMEMBER MOST OF US FOLLOWED BOTH GROUPS, BUT SYKES JUST KINDA FELL OFF INTO OBLIVION ... AT LEAST I KNOW WHY NOW !!!

[@johnmiller1300]

Whitesnake went crap after John left I stopped buying there albums

[@vbassone]

PUT YOUR SHOES ON DUDE!!!

[@finsandflames]

Sykes WAS Whitesnake and Coverdale couldn’t have that.

[@GordonHeaney]

2:20 Tony, what happened to your foot?

[@TheTruthseeker59]

he used to play a lot barefoot, checkout valley of the kings!

[@tangerinerose3724]

Yes I asked Tony about that. He calls it his "barefoot phase". No real reason he said it was just comfortable. Lol

[@codacreator6162]

This guy sounds like if Dave Ramsey had a metal show.

[@holysmoke8439]

Their albums were jusy ok...thats the problem just like quiet riot after their first album

[@nightstarmusic7]

John left Whitesnake because David owed him a ton of money.

[@trance9158]

He was fired because while David was recovering from nasal surgery John took over production of the whitesnake album and David went ballistic and fired him indirectly. Dave is a coward.

[@meralonder9031]

He was fired.. Everybody knows it..

[@nightstarmusic7]

@@meralonder9031 wrong. !

[@meralonder9031]

@@nightstarmusic7 You are wrong! The world knows it even John Sykes said he got fired from the band with his own words.. Did you live under the rock! Haha.. Wake up and do some search! Wake up Neo!

[@nightstarmusic7]

@@meralonder9031 really ! John told us David owes him $250.000. When did you talk to John..?

[@nicholaskruger9460]

I remember in 89’ I was 19 and grew up on mtv. And liked some metal but blue murder was a total joke at that point. Guns N’ Roses I think killed them. Guns was dirty and street the last two years and it made that Hollywood glitsty rock seem goofy. And yeah nirvana went even more street punk and murdered all those goofy fluffy bands

[@thomasminarchickjr.7355]

Sykes is a killer player, but not a singer and not a great frontman. He’s not Phil Lynott by any stretch. It’s truly unfortunate that John didn’t really get famous from the HUGE Whitesnake album. By the time Blue Murder came around, they were completely out of place in the market.

[@tonebrennan8475]

Not a singer?!?!;I guess Mario Lanza wasn’t one,either?!

[@michaelmichaels138]

Nobody has ever looked so cool in a white jump suit as Sykes did.

[@frankblunt2482]

John is a great guitarist but, as a band leader, not so much.

[@kikiki4592]

I am sure those two things along with Phil Lynott's death brutalized him.